


Down The Buneary Hole

by Death_Dance



Category: Palaye Royale (Band), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Palaye Royale but with Pokemon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2019-12-26 16:08:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18285701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Death_Dance/pseuds/Death_Dance
Summary: One day after a particularly stressful concert, Remington finds a shimmering hole in the wall of the venue. At first he thinks he's hallucinating, but then a Pokemon comes out and Emerson falls in.





	1. The Portal

"ALRIGHT, THIS NEXT SONG IS CALLED DEATH DANCE, AND I WANNA HEAR YOU SINGING ALONG!" the lead singer of Palaye Royale shouted, pointing out at the crowd.

Sweat shined on his forehead as he scanned the venue, looking for something to climb as he sang. His eyes landed on a tower, and he grinned.

"I never thought I'd be so mean," he sang, slowly moving toward it. "Never thought I'd be alone at nineteen."

He reached the tower as they finished playing the second verse. The singer climbed up the tower and stuck his legs through the holes, making sure that he was secure before swinging down and continuing to sing, watching the crowd from his upside-down position. Beads of sweat rolled off Remington's face as he sang, causing him to wipe at his eyes frantically. After they reached the next round of "No no no, no no nos", he climbed down and went back to the stage, bouncing out of his boots.

Remington stopped singing and closed his eyes, listening to the screams and cheers of the crowd. Sebastian and Emerson came up on either side of him. "NOW I WANNA HEAR YOU SINGING!" he shouted, pointing his microphone out at the crowd.

"WE LIVE IN AN AGE WHERE SEX AND HORRORS ARE GODS," the crowd sang.

He inhaled slowly and opened his eyes, looking over at Emerson. The two brothers exchanged a smile before Emerson returned to his drums, and Remington began to sing again.

The concert was over before any of them knew it, and then they were stumbling onto the New York City streets, giddy with the high of the music and the energy of the crowd surrounding them. Daniel found them eventually and dragged them back inside. Emerson had been given weed by someone, and was smoking it happily. The smoke alarms began to go off, dousing them with water.

"HELL YES!" Remington screamed, dancing underneath a sprinkler like it was rain.

Emerson chuckled and grabbed his brother's hands, the two of them spinning in circles until they could barely stand. Sebastian and Daniel and Luis led them back to where their instruments were and they began to pack up, the youngest brother still smoking away.

Remington finished loading a microphone stand into the bus and noticed something odd in the wall of the venue. "Hey, guys, come look at this," he said, going over to the wall and poking it. The wall shimmered and swayed, somehow feeling like gelatin in his fingers.

Emerson finished loading his drum kit into the bus and came over. "What is it?" he asked.

"I don't know, but the wall is fucked up. Look," Remington said, pushing his hand through the gelatinous substance.

"Holy shit," Emerson whispered, putting his hand beside his brother's. Sure enough, his hand sank through, and then his arm.

"Hey, don't go too far in, we don't know what this is." Remington warned, watching his little brother carefully.

"No, look, it's okay," Emerson said, and then he put his whole body into the substance. He disappeared completely.

At the same time Emerson went through, a strange brown rabbit jumped out. The rabbit-creature looked at Remington before hopping away down the alley, away from his friends.

Remington began to scream, trying to get the others' attention. Sebastian and Luis came rushing over, followed by Daniel.

"What is it?" the bassist asked, looking at the wall and touching it in confusion.

Sebastian realized something and looked around wildly, not seeing his youngest brother anywhere in the dimly-lit area behind the venue. "Where's Emerson?" he asked.

Remington pointed at the substance that his hand was stuck in. "He went all the way through... I don't know where he is now," he said.

Suddenly, the substance surrounded him as well, causing him to be pulled through and thrown onto a bright green patch of grass. It seemed to be a city, but it was cleaner than any city he had ever seen. The sky was bright blue, and all the buildings were bright and shining. At the end of the street, there was a huge, gymnasium-seeming building. There were skyscrapers all around him, and some other buildings, including what seemed to be restaurants and shops. "Nice of you to join me," Remington heard a voice say from above him, and he sat up.

"Couldn't let you go off by yourself," he answered, looking up at Emerson. The younger brother smiled and helped Remington up.

"Where are we?" Remington asked, brushing the dirt off of his clothes.

"Castelia City," was Emerson's answer, causing Remington's eyes to go wide.


	2. Castelia City

"No shit?" Remington asked, looking around again. 

"No shit. I don't know how this happened, though," Emerson said. He saw something moving in an alley and went to go investigate. 

Remington followed him quickly. "This isn't safe, we should wait for Sebastian," he said. 

There was a bright flash of light, and they both looked up to see their older brother appear in the same spot Remington had been. The younger brothers looked at each other before hearing something say "Mincc-ino!" They both turned toward the trash can to see something pop up. The creature had big brown eyes and huge ears covered in grayish-brown fur. It looked at them and said "Min!" before jumping out and running down the alley.

"Hey, come back!" Remington said, running after the creature. It hid behind a big cardboard box and peeked out at him.

Emerson went back to the place where they had come through the portal, planning to make sure that Sebastian was alright. When he got there, he found his oldest brother sitting up and looking around, blinking. 

"Hey, Seb," he said, helping him to his feet. "We're in Castelia City, like from those Pokemon games that we used to play when we were kids," he said. 

Sebastian nodded and looked around. "Where's Remington?" he asked, watching as a pair of teenagers ran down the same alley Emerson had come from.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," the singer whispered, kneeling down where it could see him. He held out his hands and waited. 

Soon, the creature crept closer and sniffed at his hand. "It's okay," Remington whispered, realizing that neither of his brothers were near him. 

He patted it on the head and it squeaked happily, moving closer to him. He reached out to pick it up and heard footsteps. 

"HEY LOOK! A MINCCINO!" someone shouted. A pair of teenagers raced down the alley and threw some kind of ball at it, causing the creature to yelp in surprise. There was a flash of light, and then it was gone. The teenager picked up the ball and ran away.

Remington sat down and put his head in his hands, feeling disappointed that this had happened. He didn't know where to get those balls, though, so he would just have to earn their trust. He heard more footsteps and looked up at his brothers, standing quickly.

"We need to find a place to stay," Sebastian said, leading his brothers back to the main road. They began to walk until Emerson stopped at a street corner. Both of the older brothers stopped as well and looked around, wondering what he had seen.

Emerson looked around and pointed out what seemed to be a hotel. "There," he said.

Sebastian and Remington nodded and the three of them set off in that direction. 

Soon, they were at the building. Sebastian led them inside and over to the front desk. "We need two rooms for the night," he said, smiling at the receptionist.

She looked up at him and gasped. "No fucking way."

"What do you mean?" Sebastian asked, the three brothers exchanging confused looks. 

"You're... Poke-Royale," she said, looking like she was going to pass out.

"No, we're Palaye Royale," Remington said, even more confused. Was there a version of themselves in this universe? he thought, exchanging a look with Emerson. The youngest brother shrugged.

The doors opened and they all turned to look as three people who looked exactly like them, accompanied by a tall, brown-haired boy who was holding a camera bag in one hand and Emerson's hand in the other. There was also a shorter girl with long black hair, who was talking with the other Sebastian as they walked. The other Remington noticed them and stopped, staring.

"Holy shit," both Remingtons said in unison, looking at each other.


	3. Poké Royale

The other Emerson and Sebastian looked up at that moment, and all four of them gasped. Emerson pushed the brown-haired boy behind him, and they both pulled the strange red-and-white balls out of pouches hanging around their necks. Remington lifted his hand and they stopped, watching carefully.

"Are you real?" the other Remington asked, seeming shocked.

"Of course I am," Remington said, confused. Why would he not be real?

Emerson and Sebastian stepped closer to him, clearly getting defensive. If it came to a fight, though, they would probably lose.

"It's okay," Remington whispered, putting his hands out in front of them.

"Can we go talk about this somewhere else and figure out what the hell is going on?" the other Remington said, looking nervous.

He didn't want anyone to think that this other version of themselves were Dittoes. He didn't know what would happen if someone tried to put them into a Pokeball.

"Yeah, let's go to your room. We promise we won't try to rob you or anything, right?" he said, glancing at his brothers out of the corners of his eyes. They both nodded.

"Alright, let's go," the other Remington said. He waved at the other Emerson and Sebastian, and they and their companions rushed over. "Kennedie, Keyden, you go get our things. Emerson, Sebastian - let's go." He led the way towards the elevator.

The other Emerson watched over his shoulder as the boy - Keyden, Remington thought the other version of himself had said - disappeared through the doors of the hotel.

"He'll be okay," the other Remington said, putting his arm around his little brother.

The six of them went over to the elevator and both Sebastians pushed the button at the same time. They both laughed nervously and stepped away as the doors opened. The other Remington led the way in, and they went up to the top floor. Remington was surprised to find that the walls of the elevator were completely clear, and so was the chute they were in. He looked around in wonder as they ascended, watching as a flock of huge butterflies flew over their heads.

"Those are Butterfrees," the other Sebastian said, correctly assuming that they didn't know the different Pokemon. "And those are Pidgeys, Pidgeots, and Pidgeottos," he added, pointing out a huge flock of brown birds in the distance.

The elevator stopped and they got out. The other Remington led them to a huge suite and punched in a key code.

"We need to figure out how you got here, why you're here, and how to get you to go home," he said.

Remington, Emerson, and Sebastian sat down on a couch in the living room, and their other-universe selves sat in big leather armchairs.

"So, how did you get here?" the other Emerson asked, looking at them intently.

Remington and Sebastian both looked at their little brother.

"Well, we were at a concert, playing of course," the drummer began. He explained how they had found the portal, and the rabbit-creature had come out, and then Emerson had gone through. He explained how he had fallen out into the middle of the city, and how his brothers had followed him.

Remington added how they had found the Minccino and how it had been stolen from them, as well. He figured that it would be good to add their first real encounter with one of the creatures in this world.

"So is the portal still there? In your world?" the other Sebastian asked, seeming nervous.

Remington understood why he would be. This world could be overrun by theirs, or theirs could be overrun by this one. Either way, there could be an invasion, and it wouldn't be good for either world.

"I think so. But as soon as we're back, it'll close, right?" Emerson asked.

The door opened, revealing Keyden and Kennedie, both holding huge boxes. They came in and disappeared into the closet, most likely unpacking the things that they had brought.

"Yes, I think that would work," the other Remington continued. "But while you're here in this world, you might as well see as much of it as possible. We'll buy you some bikes and Pokéballs and gear, and send you off. Keyden can go with you."

The other Emerson looked up and glared at his older brother. "He is not going with them."

"He is, Emerson. He knows this world better than any of us, and we've all traveled all over it." the other Remington said. The other Sebastian nodded.

"Fine," the other Emerson said, sounding angry. "But he'll come back, right?"

"Of course he will." Remington said, glancing at Emerson. He had seen the way that his brother had been looking at Keyden, and it wasn't a way that this Emerson would appreciate.

"So that's settled. You can stay here tonight, and then tomorrow, we'll get you supplies." the other Remington said. They all stood up.

"Your room is down the hall. Here's your code," the other Sebastian said, handing them a small piece of paper.

Remington thanked him and led his brothers to their room.


	4. A Whole New World

Remington woke up the next morning and got out of bed, realizing that all of their things had been left behind in their world. They had no clothes, shoes, toiletries, food, nothing. And it was just the three of them. Everyone else was back in their world, too. He sighed softly and sat down on the bed, waiting for his brothers to wake up.

Sebastian woke an hour later and looked at his younger brother. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Remington turned away from the window and looked at him. "Yeah."

They both looked down at Emerson, who was sleeping in an armchair by the window, having insisted that his brothers use the beds.

"Do you know where we go to get supplies?" Sebastian asked, realizing the same thing that Remington had.

Remington shook his head and looked at the door as someone knocked on it. "Come in."

The door opened, revealing the two other people they had seen last night - Keyden and Kennedie. "Are you ready?" Keyden asked, looking at Remington.

He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess." Everyone looked down at Emerson as he woke up, but Remington didn't miss Keyden's sad smile.

Kennedie nodded and held up three drawstring bags. "These have a change of clothes, six Pokéballs, and a Pokédex for each of you. You'll be traveling with us."

Sebastian stood up and went over to her, taking the bags. He checked inside each one before giving one to each of his brothers.

"Let's go," Remington said, leading Sebastian and Emerson toward the door.

~~~

Keyden and Kennedie led them out to a van parked on the street. It was mostly white, with some rust spots, and overall looked like a good van to use. Keyden opened the door and everyone got in. Each of the brothers took a row of seats, while Kennedie got shotgun, and Keyden drove.

"Where are we going?" Sebastian asked, looking around as they left the city limits.

"We're going to explore the whole world." Kennedie answered. She looked out the window, clearly not wanting to talk much.

Remington emptied out the contents of his bag and looked at everything. The clothes were simple - just a white t-shirt with a black graphic design, a pair of loose blue jeans, and black sneakers. He put them back into the bag and took out the Pokéballs. They were odd, but looked exactly how he had imagined, when he was much younger and had still been interested in video games. Lastly, he took out the Pokédex, and tapped the screen.

It turned on. "Hello. What is your name?" it said, making him jump.

"Remington Leith," he answered, watching as his name appeared on the screen. There was a flash, and then a video began to play.

"Hello there! Welcome to the world of Pokémon! My name is Oak! People call me the Pokémon Prof! This world is inhabited by creatures called Pokémon! For some people, Pokémon are pets. Others use them for fights. Myself...I study Pokémon as a profession." an old man said. It was clearly a pre-recorded video, and Remington settled in to listen as the Professor explained about everything in the Pokémon world.

~~~

They stopped at a hotel in a small town that night, and Kennedie went in to get their rooms reserved, while Keyden went to buy food. Remington, Emerson and Sebastian got out of the van and looked around.

"What's that?" the oldest brother whispered, pointing at something moving in the tall grass at the edge of the town.

"I don't know," Remington said. "Let's go check it out." He took one of the Pokéballs out of his bag and walked toward it, his brothers following him.

They reached the grass and Remington parted it. A large, green and yellow creature that looked like a caterpillar blinked up at him before running away. He pressed the button on the Pokéball and threw it at the creature. There was a flash of light, and then the creature was gone.

Remington picked up the Pokéball and looked at his brothers. "We have to figure out what that was."

"Maybe the Pokédexes will know. Let's get back to the hotel," Emerson said, seeming uneasy. Sebastian and Remington both nodded, and the brothers made their way to the hotel, where Keyden and Kennedie were waiting.

"We need to get some sleep," Kennedie said, leading them up to their rooms. She gave Remington two keys before she and Keyden went into the smaller room, the door closing behind them.

Remington opened the door and looked inside. There were three twin beds, side by side, and a big window. They each claimed a bed by hanging their bags off of the bedframes.

"We need to go home," Sebastian said as he changed into the clothes from his bag. It was odd to see him in anything but a suit, Remington thought.

"I wanna stay here and explore for a while," Emerson answered. "We might as well."

Sebastian huffed. "This isn't where we belong. We can explore, sure, but once we figure out how to get home, we're going home and never leaving our world again."

Both of the younger brothers nodded, knowing it was better than to argue.

"Let's get some sleep," Remington said, crawling into his bed. There would be more adventures the next day.


	5. Nuvema Town

All three of the brothers woke early the next morning, and Emerson went straight to the bathroom. Sebastian and Remington put on the clothes that they had been given.

Sebastian put his suit back into the bag and set his Pokédex and Pokéballs on top.

It was extremely odd to see him in anything besides the suits, Remington thought, looking at his older brother.

Sebastian had been given black jeans, and a red-and-white flannel shirt, and boots. Emerson had also been given boots, which Remington didn't find fair. Why did they get boots, while all he got was sneakers?

The bathroom door opened and his younger brother came out, wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, and a green shirt with "CASTELIA CITY" written across his chest in white letters.

Remington chuckled and went to change his clothes - Keyden had bought them pajamas last night, which he was grateful for.

"Nice shirt," Sebastian said, smirking at his youngest brother.

"Oh, shut up. You look so weird, not wearing a suit," Emerson said, sitting down. Remington watched as he put his boots on.

"What was that thing you caught yesterday, Rem?" Sebastian asked.

"I don't know." Remington responded. He took the Pokéball out and set it on the ground carefully before pushing the button.

There was another flash of light, and the caterpillar-creature appeared. It took one look at Remington before trying to hide underneath the bed.

"Caterpie detected nearby. Caterpie detected nearby." their Pokédexes said in unison. They all rushed to get them out.

The machines flashed white, before the image of a Caterpie showed up, beside some text. "Its short feet are tipped with suction pads that enable it to tirelessly climb slopes and walls. If you touch the feeler on top of its head, it will release a horrible stink to protect itself. It has large, eye-like patterns on its head as protection. They are used to frighten off enemies. Caterpie has a voracious appetite. It can devour leaves bigger than its body right before your eyes. It is covered with a green skin. When it grows, it sheds the skin, covers itself with silk, and becomes a cocoon."

"That's interesting," Remington said, looking at the creature again. "Hello, Caterpie," he said, holding out his hand.

It looked at it before trying to hide under the bed again.

"Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you," he said softly. Sebastian pushed the button on its Pokéball and there was a flash of light before the Caterpie vanished.

Remington put the Pokéball away as Keyden knocked on their door. Emerson went to answer it, seeing oddly eager to see the other boy.

"Are you ready to explore? We can stop in each town or city for a few hours, and find some Pokémon, and replenish our supplies if we need to." Keyden said. Kennedie appeared behind him, causing him to jump.

"Sorry," the girl said, smiling at Remington and Sebastian. "Come on, now."

They gathered their things quickly and left the hotel, meeting their guides by the van. Remington was happy to leave the hotel. The bed was uncomfortable, and there was no breakfast provided, and he was extremely hungry.

He loaded his bag and climbed in, placing it in his lap. Emerson climbed on, and then Sebastian. Keyden watched as each brother got settled into their seats. He got into the front seat and drove them to the outskirts of the town.

Remington watched as they drove by the houses, and realized that none of the kids playing outside were over 13 years old.

"When you're thirteen, you start your quest to collect Pokémon," Kennedie explained, noticing what he was looking at.

Remington nodded slowly.

They drove to a park at the edge of the town and stopped, getting out of the car. They collected their bags and headed off into the tall grass, which seemed to be some kind of grain.

After they had been walking for a few minutes, Keyden stopped and looked around. Something rustled in the grass as the rest of the group stopped, and there was a huff from behind them.

Sebastian spun around and saw a large, frog-like creature with a bulb on its back staring at them.

"Bulbasaur!" it said.

Sebastian took a step back and pulled out one of his Pokéballs, pressing the button on it. He threw it at the Bulbasaur and it disappeared, the ball closing behind it.

Keyden went over to him."Good job, you caught your first Pokémon."

They looked around again as the grass rustled, and two more creatures appeared - a brown doglike creature with large ears and a white ruff, and an orange lizard with fire burning on the end of its tail.

In unison, Remington and Emerson took out Pokéballs and threw them at the creatures. Remington got the dog, and Emerson got the lizard.

"That was an Eevee, and a Charmander," Kennedie explained.

Remington looked at her and smiled.

~~~

They spent the rest of their day out in the tall grass, catching Pokémon.

Emerson caught a Pidgey and a Ledyba, along with his Charmander. Remington caught another Caterpie and a Weedle, and Sebastian caught a Lilipup.

When it started to get dark, Keyden and Kennedie made them return to the hotel, saying that it was dangerous at night.

They all got changed into their pajamas and settled in for the night, letting the Pokémon out to explore the room while they registered them in their Pokédexes and learned all about what kind of creatures they had caught.


	6. Accumula Town

When he woke up the next day, Remington found both of his brothers gone. He jumped out of bed and packed his bag as fast as possible, extremely worried. Once he was sure he had everything, he ran outside and looked around.

Sebastian was sitting at a table outside, talking with Kennedie about something, while Emerson and Keyden were in a shop across the street.

Remington sat down at the table next to Sebastian and smiled at him. "What are we going to do today?" he asked.

"We're going to Accumula Town today," Kennedie answered. She pointed out a black dot on the map.

Remington looked at it and nodded. "When are we leaving?"

"As soon as Emerson and Keyden are done buying supplies," Sebastian answered.

Remington looked at the map again. "Are we going to be traveling to all of these?" he asked.

Kennedie shook her head. "We're only going to the cities, after today. All the towns are the same, very small. They don't have hospitals or trading centers or gyms," she said.

"Gyms?" Sebastian asked.

"That's where we train and fight our Pokémon," she answered.

Everyone looked up as Emerson and Keyden came over to the table, both holding several shopping bags.

"Are you ready to go?" Keyden asked, looking at Kennedie. She nodded and put her map away.

Remington and Sebastian collected their bags and stood up, leading everyone to the van.

~~~

Remington woke up a few hours later and looked around. They were in a small town, which resembled the one they had been in before, but was slightly larger. He got out of the van and looked around.

Keyden had parked the van in a small parking lot outside a building with "Poké Mart" in glowing neon letters above the doors. Keyden and Kennedie were inside, buying lots of Pokéballs, some in colors that he didn't recognize. They also had lots of small spray bottles filled with liquids of various colors.

Remington saw his brothers walking around in a small park, and went over to them. Emerson smiled at him.

"How are you doing?" Remington asked Sebastian, noticing that his older brother was looking upset about something.

Emerson gently pulled him away and whispered, "He's missing Larisa and Daniel a lot, and he just wants to go home."

Remington nodded slowly and looked at Emerson. "How are you?"

"I love it here, and I want to stay as long as we can," he said with a huge smile.

Remington heard someone clear their throat and turned around to see Kennedie, holding what seemed to be collars and leashes.

"These are for your Pokémon," she explained. "They aren't usually used for anything besides small mammals, though."

Sebastian nodded and took out one of his Pokéballs, releasing his Lilipup.

Kennedie handed him a collar and leash, and he put it onto the creature. It looked up at him, letting its tongue hang out.

"I think I'll name you Clover," he said, clipping the leash onto the collar.

"Lili!" the creature said, still looking up at him.

Sebastian chuckled and watched as Remington did the same with his Eevee.

Kennedie led them to a building marked "ACCUMULA GYM" in large white letters. There was a woman sitting at the front desk, staring at a computer and looking bored. Kennedie cleared her throat, and the woman looked up in surprise. "How can I help you?" she asked.

"We're here for training," Kennedie explained.

The woman nodded and pointed down one of the hallways. Kennedie thanked her and led them there.

The training center was a large gymnasium-style room, filled with people and Pokémon. Remington stopped and watched as a large tan horse with a fiery mane and tail reared and stomped its feet against the ground, causing the room to shake. The horse's trainer smiled and gave it some kind of treat.

Keyden tapped his shoulder and he jumped, looking at the other boy in surprise. "Come on," Keyden said, leading him to where the others were.

Remington followed him and smiled when he saw that his brothers were sitting on the ground, letting their Pokémon roam around. He sat down beside Emerson and took the leash off of his Eevee. It looked at him and barked, "Ee!' Remington smiled and let the other Pokémon out of their Pokéballs. The Caterpies looked at each other before going off in opposite directions. The Weedle came up to him and pushed its head against his hand. He chuckled and patted it on the head. "You're rather cute," he said, smiling at it fondly. The Weedle made a noise at him.

Remington looked around, trying to figure out where his Eevee had gone. He located it by a pool of water, taking a drink. Suddenly there was a flash of light, and the Eevee disappeared, changing into a larger blue creature with a long tail and webbing around its head. "What happened to it?" Remington asked, extremely confused.

Kennedie looked up and smiled. "It evolved, into a Vaporeon. They must keep water stones in that pool," she added.

The Vaporeon finished drinking and ran over to Remington, its tongue lolling out. He smiled and hugged it. "It's very cute," he said.

Kennedie nodded. "We just have to keep it near water, now. If it doesn't stay hydrated, it'll get dried out and die."

Remington nodded slowly. "Is Vaporeon the only creature that Eevee evolves into?" he asked.

Keyden looked over at them and shook his head. "Eevee has eighteen possible evolutions, one of each type."

"That's a lot..." Remington said, listening carefully to what Keyden was saying.

"Eevee is known as the evolution Pokémon. All it does it evolve," Kennedie added. "It only evolves once, though, so whatever you choose to turn it into is what it stays forever."

"That seems cruel to the Eevee. Why can't it just stay as itself?" he asked.

"It's too easy to evolve for it to stay an Eevee its whole life." Kennedy responded. "Even if you keep it locked in a room forever, it'll be unhappy, and eventually evolve into Veneon or Spookeon."

Remington nodded again and looked around, watching the other people in the training center working with their Pokémon. They stayed at the Gym for the rest of the day, and spent it playing and working with their Pokémon.


	7. Home

Daniel kicked the tire of the bus and screamed in frustration. Sebastian, Remington and Emerson had been gone for almost a week now, and he was missing them a lot. They all were, he could tell.

Austin laid in his bunk all day, and Luis wouldn't stop searching online, looking for any sign of their friends. They had stopped at a rest stop for the night, and he could hear Luis tapping away on his keyboard in the background. The videographer hadn't slept or eaten or closed his computer since the Kropp brothers disappeared.

He had been in contact with Larisa, Monica and Shy, and explained the situation. The girls had been calling him every day since then, asking if their boyfriends had returned.

Daniel's answer had been the answer each time - No, they hadn't returned, he didn't know where they were or how to find them, he didn't know if they were ever coming back.

His phone rang and he took it out of his pocket, sighing when he saw it was Larisa - again. He answered it as he left the bus, as it was quieter outside.

"Hey, what's up," he said in a dull voice.

"Daniel, I'm pregnant," Larisa answered.

The bassist dropped his phone in shock, and it shattered against the sidewalk. "Dammit, Sebastian!" he screamed, kicking a wall.

His friend had chosen the worst possible time to disappear into another dimension. He looked down at the pieces of his shattered phone and sighed heavily. He would have to buy a new one at the next city they stopped in. The door to the bus opened and he looked up to see Austin, looking sad and exhausted.

Daniel smiled at him weakly before picking up his miraculously unharmed SIM card. "Get back on the bus," he told the younger boy.

Austin nodded and turned around, going right back in.

Daniel, on the other hand, sat down on the sidewalk and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. He took one out and stuck it between his lips as he searched for his lighter. He finally found it in his back pocket, and sighed happily as he lit the cigarette, giving in to the calmness that the nicotine offered. On any other, normal night, Sebastian or Emerson would be sitting beside him, smoking as well, while Remington tried to convince them to care about the negative health effects. He took a long drag, inhaling and letting the hot smoke burn his lungs.

The bus door opened again, and he looked up to see Luis this time. "Mind if I join you?" the Hispanic man asked.

Daniel shrugged and took out the cigarettes again, offering one to Luis. He took it, and Daniel handed him the lighter as well.

"How are you doing?" they asked in unison, causing both to share a sad smile.

"I really miss Sebastian," Daniel confessed. He looked up at the sky and took another long drag from his cigarette. The red ember on the end glowed in the cloudy night, and he sighed.

"I didn't realize how much I loved those three, until they were gone, and now I don't know if we'll ever see them again." Luis said. He looked up at the clouds, watching as they drifted around, revealing a single star. "

Do you ever think they'll come back?" Daniel asked, looking at Luis. The other man nodded slowly.

"That portal closed before I could get all the way through. They were taken for a reason, and once they've figured out what that reason is, they'll be back with us." Daniel and Luis looked at each other, and Luis moved a little closer.

Daniel took the cigarette out of his mouth, and watched as Luis did the same - and then they were on each other, Luis's lips cool against Daniel's as he picked him up and carried him back to the bus, abandoning their cigarettes in the parking lot.

~~~

Daniel woke up a few hours later and noticed that Luis wasn't laying beside him anymore. He looked around and realized that they had stopped at another rest stop.

He got off the bus and went to use the bathroom, passing Luis as the other man was going back to the bus.

They exchanged a small smile, but otherwise didn't talk about what had happened the night before.

Daniel went into the bathroom and closed the door, while Luis went back to his bunk. Within thirty minutes, they were back on the road, going to California. Daniel and Luis were sitting on the couch, just cuddling, while Austin was taking care of selling merch for the band. Neither of them were missing the glances that the younger boy was giving them, though.

After they had been on the road for a few hours, Austin finally got up and went over to them. "What's going on?"

Luis smiled, while Daniel gave him the most innocent look he could managed.

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked.

"You know what I mean. You came on the bus kissing and disappeared for hours, and now you've been cuddling all day." Austin said. "So, are you dating, or what?"

Daniel looked at Luis, and they both shrugged. "We're just friends," Luis said.

"And when Sebastian gets back, I'm going off with him," Daniel said. A small frown flicked onto his face when he said that, but it disappeared quickly.

"Guys, I can tell you're more than just friends," Austin said. He sighed softly and looked down.

"Nothing is going on between us," Luis said, but it sounded like he was reassuring himself more.

~~~

They stopped at a restaurant a few hours later, and got off the bus, while the driver went to get gas.

Luis and Austin got in line, while Daniel went to the bathroom.

He locked the door and realized that the wall looked the same way the one at the venue had, when Sebastian, Remington and Emerson had disappeared. He touched it nervously and watched as his hand went through the wall. Good, he thought, as he put both hands in. He would get to see Sebastian again. He took a deep breath and walked through. The wall closed behind him, and then he was in the bathroom of a hotel room.

"Hello?" he called, hearing voices in the main room. They stopped when he spoke, and footsteps came toward the door. Someone opened the door and Daniel felt a wide smile appear on his face. Behind him, the portal closed, leaving him stuck in this world.

The door opened all the way and the other person stopped cold, staring at him. "D-"

"Hello, Sebastian," Daniel said, giving his friend a huge hug.

"Daniel, what the hell, you're supposed to be dead!"


End file.
